Our Picture Editors select the best news photographs from South Africa and around the world to bring you a visual snapshot of the weekend's events.
Members of the Christian Motorcycle Association (CMA) pray during the Easter Saturday church service at CMA South Africa’s main church in Midrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, 30 March 2024. Approximately 600 CMA members from all over South Africa converged on the church for their annual national rally. CMA South Africa, which started in 1980, has over 1000 members and chapters in most cities in the country and is a multi-denominational, multi-racial ministry and uses ‘friendship evangelism’ within the biker community to try to reach out to bikers who may need help. Picture: EPA-EFE/KIM LUDBROOK
Cardinals walk among floral decorations as they attend Pope Francis’ traditional ‘Urbi et Orbi’ Easter message and blessing in Saint Peter’s Square, Vatican City, 31 March 2024, after the Easter Sunday Mass. Picture: EPA-EFE/MASSIMO PERCOSSINorway’s skip Magnus Ramsfjell, left, delivers a stone against Switzerland mext to Bendik Ramsfjell, right, and Martin Sesaker, center, at the World Men’s Curling Championship at the IWC Arena in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, 31 March 2024. Picture: EPA-EFE/MICHAEL BUHOLZERDemonstrators in military uniform hold placards forming the words ‘Free Azov’ during a rally calling on authorities to return their relatives from Russian captivity, in downtown Kyiv, Ukraine, 31 March 2024, amid the Russian invasion. Russian troops entered Ukrainian territory on 24 February 2022, starting a conflict that has provoked destruction and a humanitarian crisis. Picture: EPA-EFE/SERGEY DOLZHENKODemonstrators hold placards as they take part in a rally calling on authorities to return their relatives from Russian captivity, in downtown Kyiv, Ukraine, 31 March 2024, amid the Russian invasion. Russian troops entered Ukrainian territory on 24 February 2022, starting a conflict that has provoked destruction and a humanitarian crisis. Picture: EPA-EFE/SERGEY DOLZHENKOSupporters of the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) political party attend a rally for advocating for judicial independence and the release of party’s founding chairman, convicted former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s, in Peshawar, Pakistan, 31 March 2024. PTI organized a rally in Peshawar on 31 March advocating for judicial independence and the release of ‘prisoner number 804.’, an apparent reference to party’s founding chairman, convicted former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s prisoner number. Six judges at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) have expressed concerns over alleged intimidation and coercion, citing interference by intelligence officials, surveillance of residences, and pressure on judges. Judges sought for a policy from the Supreme Judicial Council, to address executive influence and safeguard judicial independence. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), a party led by former convicted Prime Minister Imran Khan, has called for an impartial investigation, questioning the credibility of the state’s narrative. Picture: EPA-EFE/ARSHAD ARBABSmoke rises as family members and supporters of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, hold torches, signs and Israeli flags after lighting a fire during a protest rally outside the Kirya military headquarters, in Tel Aviv, Israel, 30 March 2024. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), 134 Israeli hostages are currently being held by Hamas in Gaza. More than 32,500 Palestinians and over 1,450 Israelis have been killed, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), since Hamas militants launched an attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip on 07 October 2023, and the Israeli operations in Gaza and the West Bank which followed it. Picture: EPA-EFE/ABIR SULTANKenyan Legio Maria believers attend the Easter vigil mass at the St. Joanes, Legio Maria of African Church Mission in Kibera slums, in Nairobi, Kenya, 30 March 2024(issued 31 March 2024). Christians commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Picture: EPA-EFE/Daniel IrunguChristian worshippers kneel in prayer in front of the ‘Stone of Unction’ on Easter Sunday at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem, 31 March 2024. Easter Sunday is one of the major religious holidays observed by Christians around the world, commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Picture: EPA-EFE/ATEF SAFADISupporters of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wear Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s masks as they attend the Bharatiya Janata Party and its alliance partners’ first election rally in Meerut, India, 31 March 2024. General elections in India will be held in seven phases between 19 April and 01 June 2024. Elections for India’s 545-member lower house of parliament, or Lok Sabha, are held every five years. Picture: EPA-EFE/RAJAT GUPTAParticipants wearing Ukrainian flags shout slogans as they take part in the Alternativer Ostermarsch (‘Alternative Easter March’), in Berlin, Germany, 30 March 2024. As a counter-demonstration to the traditional Easter Marches, the ‘Alternative Easter March’, organized by Ukraine Alliance Vitsche under the motto ‘Now more than ever – peace must be defended’, gathered over a hundred participants in Berlin. Vitsche said on social media: ‘With our counter-demonstration, we hold up a mirror to the traditional Easter marches and expressly emphasize that their demands do not lead to peace, but rather to the encouragement of the aggressor. We consciously oppose this false pacifism and instead call for empathy, understanding and support in self-defense against Russian terror. Real peace can only be achieved with justice and freedom.’ Picture: EPA-EFE/HANNIBAL HANSCHKEA Palestinian inspects his destroyed house following an Israeli air strike, in Al Maghazi refugee camp, southern Gaza Strip, 31 March 2024. According to the Palestinian Civil Defense, a large-scale operation targeting a residential house in the Al Maghazi refugee camp killed more than 10 Palestinians, most of them displaced persons, and more than 15 others were wounded. More than 32,700 Palestinians and over 1,450 Israelis have been killed, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), since Hamas militants launched an attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip on 07 October 2023, and the Israeli operations in Gaza and the West Bank which followed it. Picture: EPA-EFE/MOHAMMED SABER
